Torn In Two
by Sayaka Tezuka
Summary: Echizen Asuna, the Queen of Tennis, the Prince of Tennis' older sister, is transferred from Seigaku to...Rikkaidai!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have decided not to make this a crossover fiction between Negima and Prince of Tennis…I'm only taking in Asuna anyway.**

"Asuna-nee-chan! Wake up! Today's the last day of summer break before school!" yelled a voice.

Echizen Asuna, tennis prodigy, groggily opened her green eye, then her blue one. The Queen of Tennis dragged herself out of bed. "Ryoma…can't you go bug Ryoga instead?"

"No need for that, sis, I'm already awake," drawled Ryoga.

Echizen Ryoma, the Prince of Tennis, barged into his sister's room, followed by an older version of Ryoma, a.k.a. Asuna's older-by-three-minutes brother. "Ryoma, Ryoga, get out now, both of you!" exploded Asuna.

The two boys scurried out of the room, mindful of their orange-haired sister's ire. Both skidded to a halt in front Ryoga's room.

"Aniki, why do you think Asuna's angry?"

"I don't know, chibisuke."

"Let's not pull any pranks on her."

"Good idea, you two. 'Cause if you do pull a prank on me, Ryoga, I'll steal your tennis racket and-" Asuna broke off.

"Nee-chan?"

"Ryoga…look out the window and tell me what you see. Is the lawn really _red_?" Asuna rubbed her eyes and stared in disbelief.

"Come on, chibisuke, make a run for it! And hide the paint cans!"

"Ryoga!"

Three pairs of feet and several exclamations and curses could be heard around the house as Asuna chased Ryoga and Ryoma around the house…that is, until her unfortunate foot made contact with the corner of Karupin's litterbox. Fortunately the litterbox did not overturn and Ryoga was saved from a screaming diabolic Asuna.

After the chaos had dissipated, Asuna went upstairs to get ready for taking Ryoma to a park near her house. Meanwhile, Ryoga and Ryoma were panting, out of steam from the lengthy chase around the house. Suddenly, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and a woman looking like a much older (and kinder) version of Asuna could be seen descending the stairs from the brothers' vantage point.

"Ohayou, kaa-san," chorused the brothers.

"Oh, you're up already? Interesting…why is the lawn…_red_? Ryoma, Ryoga, don't pull silly pranks like that. Was that the reason poor Asuna was chasing you all around the house? These days, it seems that only the women of the house have any sense remaining in them…"

Ryoma felt an imaginary sweat drop slide anime-style down the back of his head. Luckily for him, there was a thunderous pounding as Asuna dashed down the stairs, wearing her best maroon blouse-skirt set, and her hair tied in long ponytails with her ubiquitous 'bell' hairties.

"Sorry, Ryoma! I'm sorry I took so long. Come on, let's go to the park! Ryoga, you can come too if you want."

As Asuna pulled her bike off the bike rack, Ryoma whispered to his brother, "Ne, aniki, does Asuna really have mood swings?"

Asuna turned around. "I heard that, Ryoma. Your sense of humor needs renovation. Anyway, hop on."

Ryoga grabbed his helmet and jumped on his bike. "Let's go!"

Asuna, Ryoma, and Ryoga spent a splendid day together at the park. But while pedaling to a nearby burger shop to eat lunch, they met an all too familiar figure with spiky gelled black hair.

"Oi, Momo-chan!" Asuna waved to her gluttonous kouhai.

"Ohayou, Asuna-sempai! Are you on a family outing?" Momo grinned.

"You're lucky I'm not Mitsu-kun! 'Momoshiro! Ten laps!'" Asuna giggled, imagining the stern captain of the Seigaku tennis team on a family outing.

"Asuna-sempai, there's a tennis court around here! Want to play a match?"

"Ne, Momo, don't you know that court's doubles only? Maybe An-chan will be around and I could play doubles. But I think you and Ryoma can play doubles together."

Both Momo and Ryoma gulped.

"But nee-chan, I've never played doubles before!" Ryoma protested.

"After lunch, we'll go to the court. An-chan and I are going to play doubles, so watch and learn."

Indeed, Asuna kept her promise and the foursome left on their bikes. When they reached the courts, Asuna pulled out her phone, which was a rather light shade of maroon, and called the other half of the Double-A Pair.

"Hello? Kippei-kun? Oh, could you give the phone to An-chan please? Yes, thanks. An-chan, we're at the doubles court near your house. I was wondering…you'll come? OK, see you, An-chan! Bye!" Asuna hung up and pulled out a pair of headphones. Ryoma rolled his eyes. Adamantly ignoring her brother, Asuna switched on the instrumental version of one of her favorite songs and began to sing.

Halfway through the song the boys heard a female voice yelling "Asuna-sempai! Asuna-sempai!"

Asuna's head jerked up. "Oh, hi, An-chan. Let's play doubles."

Before Ryoma could react , his sister pulled the ever-present tennis bag off his shoulders and pulled out her (maroon) racket. Ryoma snatched the bag back from Asuna.

The Double-A Pair, now complete, walked towards the court. Needless to say, the pigtailed half was humming a tune.

A spiky-haired blond boy and a rather hostile-looking girl were slouching on a nearby bench. _Not for long, _Asuna thought with a sadistic grin.

"Oi! Fukawa! Izumi! Want a match?" called Asuna.

The two looked up in surprise to see the invincible pair walking out onto the courts. They grabbed their rackets and hurried to take the right side of the court.

Tachibana An, although not wholly superstitious, had her own sense of luck. In fact, she was wearing her lucky sneakers. Today, her luck seemed to be extremely high. She smiled to herself. "Let's beat them, Asuna-sempai…oops! Checklist! I forgot! Acrobatics, Snake, Boomerang, Beam, Moon Volley, Triple C, Smash, all down?"

"Check for all."

"Ready? Let's go!"

In less than half an hour, the Fukawa-Izumi pair had collapsed in exhaustion. The Double-A Pair had barely even broken a sweat, and had won. "Come on, Ryoma, Ryoga, Momo. Let's go. Obviously the Momoshiro-Echizen pair is too full with burgers to do much except sit around."

The three siblings took leave of the group, and Momo graciously offered An a ride back home. Asuna smiled to herself. _Now to force Ryoma to play doubles._

When the trio reached home, however, it became obvious that either something big was going to happen, or had happened. Just as they reached the entrance to the living room their mother's voice called out, "Asuna, we need to talk to you for a second."

The aforementioned girl gulped in nervously. "Yes, kaa-san. I'm coming." In an undertone, she said, "Ryoga, Ryoma, go upstairs and don't come out until I tell you to. Got it?"

The brothers nodded in unison and scurried up the stairs. Asuna wiped her clammy palms on her maroon skirt and entered the living room full of apprehension.

"I'm here, kaa-san. What's the matter? Is it about Ryoma or Ryoga?

"No, dear. Sit down and we'll tell you."

Asuna was not as afraid now. "Okay, kaa-san. What's the matter?" asked Asuna.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but tomorrow will be your last day at Seigaku. You're transferring to Rikkaidai for your ninth grade year."

"What?" yelled Asuna. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I just decided that you need to go to a better school. The junior highs in Kanagawa have better education than at Seigaku. This isn't about tennis, Asuna. It's about your education," said her father in an attempt to soothe his daughter.

Asuna barely heard her father's words. Her vision blurred with tears, but she held them back as she fought to stay strong. Asuna bolted out of the room and up the stairs to her room. Once there she slammed the door and contemplated her situation, still blinking back tears.

She decided the best option was to tell Ryoga and Ryoma the news, then head back downstairs to tell her parents that she had accepted their proposal.

As she walked to the door, she heard a soft knock and saw two dark shapes at the door, one tall and the other much shorter. She opened the door and was greeted by a barrage of questions from Ryoma. "Are you all right, Asuna-nee-chan? What did kaa-san say?"

"Both of you. Get inside. And close the door. Now." Asuna, when worried, could be as laconic as Tezuka himself.

When the three were seated comfortably on a rug, Asuna explained the situation to her brothers, who were visibly saddened by the news. "But nee-chan, this is the only year of middle school that we all get to be in the same school! Why are you transferring now?"

"Something or the other about 'education' and 'eliteness'. What about tennis? What about my friends? What about _me?_" Asuna was, for the second time that day, on the verge of tears.

Ryoga put an arm around his sister's shoulders. "Don't cry, Asuna. Tennis isn't the only thing in life, you know."

"I know that, better than you do, Ryoga," shot back Asuna.

Ryoga dropped his arm in shock. "A-asuna?"

Seeing the expression on her brother's face, Asuna wished she could take back her words. "I'm sorry, Ryoga." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Ryoma crawled over to his sister and pushed something into her hands. "Here, nee-chan."

Asuna looked down and smiled. Her CD player. She pulled a box out from under her bed and placed it in front of her brothers. "Which song do you want me to sing?"

"Mirror Mirror!" exclaimed the boys in unison.

"OK, if you want." _It's a sad song, after all._

_Why don't I like the girl I see?_

_You were standing right in front of me_

_Why don't I think before I speak?_

Too true, thought Asuna.

_I should have listened to that voice inside of me_

_I must be stupid, must be crazy, must be out of my mind…_

Asuna rocked back and forth in time to the music, and her brothers did the same as well. Meanwhile, her parents listened to their only daughter sing and exchanged glances. They knew from experience that Asuna dealt with hardships by singing. Rinko and Nanjiro decided to leave their children in peace. The three siblings stayed upstairs listening to the same song over and over again until Rinko called them down to dinner.

Asuna removed her headphones put the CD player and her box away. "Come on, Ryoga, Ryoma. Let's face this head-on."

The three siblings trooped down the stairs and to the dining room in silence. Rinko smiled to herself. _If only I'd been as close to my siblings as these three are._

Asuna was the first to speak. "Kaa-san, Tou-san, I accept your proposal of transferring to Rikkaidai. I apologize for my outburst."

A moment of silence passed, and then Rinko and Nanjiro burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" asked Asuna. "Was this all a joke?"

"No, dear. It's not a joke. But don't treat it like a business matter," said Rinko between bursts of laughter.

Asuna scowled. The siblings exchanged looks, and walked in perfect unison to the table, where they sat down in stony silence. "Ittadakimasu," chorused the family. And dinner began.

After everyone was done eating, Ryoga and Asuna, as always, had plate duty. They cleaned their plates in silence for a while until Ryoga said, "Oi, Asuna. Why so sad?"

The orange-haired girl rolled her eyes but didn't respond. It was then that Ryoga pulled one of his timely pranks, and the silence was broken by an indignant "Hey!" as Ryoga dropped an ice cube on his sister's head, which proceeded to slide down her neck and drop to the floor.

Asuna and Ryoga finished up the dishes and forcibly evicted Ryoma from his precarious position atop a pile of books. Ryoga dragged his brother to his room and closed the door. A few moments later he emerged, and headed straight for his sister. "Goodnight, sis. School's tomorrow, set your alarm. I've set mine." Ryoga gave his sister a hug and walked back to the room he shared with Ryoma. Asuna sighed and closed the door behind her. _Only one more day at Seigaku…with Ryoga and Ryoma. How will I cope with _Rikkaidai_, of all schools?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much, blackshadow-san! *does a victory dance* Reviews are awesome! A warning: I decide pairings **_**fast**_** and currently I'm wondering which of the three demons to pair the ever-surprising Asuna-chan up with…my thoughts have gone to Yukimura to Yanagi, back to Yukimura, and then to Sanada. And this fiction also has a crack pairing: Enter the Tezuka x Ann pair!**

Asuna tossed and turned in her sleep, thoroughly drenched in the proverbial cold sweat. Her nightmares were back again, and this time it was so verisimilar to the reality of what had happened at the hospital that day. They had lied to her parents, saying that it was pain medication, but what did it bring? Just more pain, and it had changed her completely. Recombinant DNA! She hadn't been able to bear the pitiful looks that the doctors and nurses had given her after she had been taken from the clutches of the horrible doctors. The only solace she'd had in the bleak little quarantined ward was a blue-haired boy the same age as her, named Yukimura Seiichi.

He'd never been one of the pitiers, as Asuna had ungrammatically called them in her mind. When she first saw him, he was standing in front of her, a rather shocked expression on his pale face. She'd stared at him for a full minute, and then asked him a question the two would never forget.

_==============================Flashback===============================_

_The five-year-old orange-haired girl sat on the sole piece of furniture in the desolate hospital ward, sobbing her heart out at her unavoidable misfortunes. After a few minutes of muffled sniffling, she got up and tested her new talent on the hard floor. She flipped over as even the most professional gymnast vied to perform. Suddenly curious as to the extents of the results of the mutant DNA in her blood, she bounced once, twice, and…heard the loud knock on her ward room door. Every nerve tense with anticipation, she opened the door, expecting to see her brothers, her mother, or even her old neighbors, the Tezukas, whose children, Sayaka and Kunimitsu, had been her closest friends. At that point she was so far into the delusion that the loneliness had created that she was even expecting Uchiha Tsukiko, a three-year old girl Ryoma had liked to argue with, to turn up behind the door. But there was an even bigger surprise behind the door. A blue-haired boy-ish girl stood in front of her, staring at with shock evident on his face. The nurse in front of her smiled. "This is Yukimura Seiichi. Here to keep you company for some time."_

_Asuna looked hard at the person in front of her. "Are you a girl or a boy? And what kind of person has blue hair?"_

_The boy didn't blink an eye. "What kind of person has bright orange hair?"_

"_Okay, Yukimura. I call a truce already. I don't want to fight a girl."_

"_I'm not a girl! I'm a boy! A boy! Got it?"_

"_Why do you have such a squeaky voice? You sound like…like Yuuki, from Vampire Knight."_

"_Oi! I said, I'm a boy! Not a girl!"_

"_Anata no iu koto wa juuyoude wa arimasenga, mondai o okonau to iu mono."_

"…"

"_Hello? You understand Jap—"_

"_Both of you break it up already. I want you to stay in the same room for one hour, and if you're not both at each other's throats by the time I'm back…Seiichi, you'll be able to talk to Genichirou, and Asuna, you'll be able to talk to An, Ryoma, and Ryoga." said the nurse._

_Asuna and Yukimura exchanged glances. "Don't worry, ma'am!"_

_The nurse shut the door, leaving the quarrelling pair behind. "Who's Genichirou?" asked Asuna._

"_Who are An, and Ryoma, and Ryoga?" asked Seiichi._

"_My best friend Tachibana An, and my brothers Ryoma and Ryoga."_

"_My best friend Sanada Genichirou."_

"_What's this Sanada like?"_

"_He…well…it's hard to explain what he's like. He wears a black baseball cap all the time, and he likes saying 'Tarundoru' a lot, for no reason. And he's excellent at tennis. How did you end up in the hospital? Do you have Guillian-Barre's Syndrome, like me?"_

"_Well, first I was in an accident, then…"_

_And so the pair continued to chat, oblivious to the surroundings._

_===============================End=================================_

BRRRIIINNNGGG!

Asuna yelped, caught completely off-guard at six in the morning. _Ryoga, you're asking for this! _She tiptoed to the bathroom and filled the pail near the shower with water, then furtively made her way to her brothers' bedroom. Laughing quietly, she did not notice the spiky-haired figure behind her until the aforementioned figure yelled loudly in her ear. Poor Asuna jumped ten feet into the air and landed back on the ground with the bucket of water all over her.

"Consider your shower taken, Asuna…run, chibisuke! She's got the pail!"

After a few minutes of clanging and crashing, and a few shouts of "Chibisuke! Save me!"Asuna reemerged, thoroughly drenched and as mad as a wet cat. She stormed over to the bathroom, Seigaku uniform in hand. After some time, she reappeared clad in her uniform, a bag in her hand which stated in block letters: "Not For Tennis Purposes".

Her brothers were rather flabbergasted. "Not For Tennis Purposes"? Apparently, their sister was 'stark raving bonkers', as Atobe might have said. Her life (probably) would end if tennis disappeared off the face of the earth.

"Nee-chan, what's in that bag?" asked Ryoma.

"It's a surprise, chibisuke. Can't you see the obvious?" interjected Ryoga, as Asuna opened her mouth to respond.

"Ryoga. Be nice to Ryoma. He's your little brother." Asuna glared at Ryoga. "And why, may I ask, is the deck fluorescent green? I am going to throw away every single can of paint in this house if you pull another paint related prank."

"Yes, nee-chan/Asuna!" chorused the two frightened brothers in unison, saluting their sister. Rinko and Nanjiro, who had both come downstairs, were roaring with laughter at the faces of both the boys.

_Sometime later, in a Seishun Gakuen Classroom…_

"Hi, Mitsu-kun. We're in the same class today," said Asuna.

"Today?" asked Tezuka. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Mitsu-kun, you're the first to know, but I'm transferring to Rikkaidai tomorrow. I'm very sorry, but Otou-san wants me to transfer because apparently the education at Rikkaidai is better. I'll be coming over here to watch your tennis practices, because I don't have a doubt that Ryoma will be on the regulars this year. I'm sorry. Here, take this." Asuna pulled out a small box labeled "Mitsu-kun" on the top from the mysterious "Not For Tennis Purposes" bag she had brought along. "Don't open it now, open it during tennis practice today. I'll be there too."

"Aa. Thank you. Isn't Yukimura your childhood friend?"

"Yes, why?"

"Yudan sezu ni ikou."

"Ummm…thanks?" Asuna plopped down in the seat next to Tezuka. "What're you reading?"

Ever the person to skimp on words, Tezuka simply turned the cover towards her and continued reading. She rolled her eyes at him and waited for the teacher to come in.

_Sometime after the end of school, Seigaku Tennis Courts…_

The ten boys stared at the boxes in their hands, pondering whether their only female was crazy, or whether she was actually giving them a good-bye gift. After all, hadn't she told them that in the boxes were 'gifts practically suited to each of them.' That certainly gave them several suspicions of their 'nee-chan's sanity, along with the maniacal grin on her face.

"Come on, open them," urged Asuna. "Why, are you afraid that there are spiders in there or what?"

Ryoma and Momo exchanged glances. She had to be crazy to be mentioning spiders in the middle of the tennis courts. Their thoughts were interrupted by Asuna's voice saying, "On my mark, be ready to open the boxes! Three, two, one, go!"

_Bang! Bang! Bang! _The entire expanse of the tennis courts was covered with paint in all shades of colors, making the whole originally green area look like a rainbow manifested on Earth. The entire Seigaku Tennis team was now covered in what passers-by would have assumed to be horridly applied body paint and shabby tie-dyed clothes. And Asuna was so dead for that prank.

_Even later, around sunset, at the Echizen household…_

What a relatively normal evening. Nanjiro was reading his magazines, Rinko was cooking dinner, Ryoma and Ryoga were planning their revenge on Asuna for the paint that refused to get out their hair, and Asuna was oblivious to all these, sending an e-mail to eight of her most precious friends, including a certain blue-haired 'Child of God.'

_Dear Team Crazy,_

_You are going to find a really large surprise waiting for you at school tomorrow at lunchtime! Don't e-mail me about it; I won't tell you (yes, you are reading that right, Silver!)_

_-Asuna _

The eight recipients would soon find out exactly what was waiting for them…


End file.
